Vermont Child Support — Calculator, Laws & Guide (2026)

Understanding Vermont child support laws helps both custodial and non-custodial parents know their rights and obligations. This comprehensive Vermont child support guide covers how payments are calculated, what income counts, when support can be modified, and how orders are enforced. Whether you are going through a divorce, seeking a modification, or dealing with non-payment, this guide explains Vermont’s child support system in plain language.

Verified against Vermont statutes and federal OCSE guidelines as of April 2026.

Vermont Child Support Overview

Vermont uses the income shares model for calculating child support. This model is based on the principle that children should receive the same proportion of parental income they would have received if the family were intact. Both parents’ incomes are combined, and the support obligation is divided proportionally.

Vermont uses the income shares model under 15 V.S.A. Chapter 11. Both parents’ gross incomes are calculated, deductions applied to determine “available income,” then a guideline table sets the basic support obligation based on combined available income and number of children. Each parent’s share is proportional to their percentage of combined available income. Additional costs (health insurance, work-related childcare, extraordinary expenses) are added on top and split proportionally. For shared physical custody (each parent has 30% or more overnights, i.e., 110+ overnights), the base obligation is increased by 50% to reflect dual household costs, each parent’s share is multiplied by the time the child spends with the other parent, and the amounts are offset so the higher-obligation parent pays the difference. Self-support reserve is 1596 per month (effective February 2, 2026). Presumed income is 95449.50 (effective July 1, 2025). Guideline tables were last updated January 2, 2024, with next review scheduled by January 2, 2028.

How Vermont Calculates Child Support

The Vermont child support calculation considers multiple factors:

1. Determine each parent’s gross income — wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, self-employment income, investment income, and other sources.
2. Calculate combined parental income — add both parents’ adjusted gross incomes together.
3. Apply the guideline schedule — Vermont’s guidelines provide a base support amount based on combined income and number of children.
4. Prorate between parents — each parent’s share is proportional to their percentage of the combined income.
5. Add healthcare and childcare costs — these are added to the base amount and divided proportionally.
6. Apply adjustments — parenting time credits, other child obligations, and special circumstances may adjust the final amount.

Online calculator: Use our child support estimator below to calculate your estimated obligation.

What Counts as Income in Vermont

Gross income from all sources including salaries, wages, commissions, royalties, bonuses, dividends, severance pay, pensions, interest, trust income, annuities, capital gains, Social Security benefits, workers’ compensation benefits, unemployment insurance benefits, disability insurance benefits, gifts, prizes, spousal support actually received, and expense reimbursements or in-kind payments that reduce personal living expenses. Income at the U.S. Treasury Bill rate is imputed to non-income-producing assets with aggregate fair market value of 10000 or more (excluding primary residence and up to 15000 of motor vehicle value). Excludes means-tested public assistance: TANF, SSI, SNAP, and General Assistance. “Available income” equals gross income minus FICA taxes (7.65% for employees, 15.3% for self-employed) and state and federal income taxes calculated using specific filing statuses and exemptions.

Imputed income: YES. Vermont imputes potential income to a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, unless the parent is physically or mentally incapacitated. The court considers what the parent could earn based on employment history, education, and job market conditions.

Deviation factors: Under 15 V.S.A. section 659, the court may deviate from guidelines if application would be unfair to the child or any party. Factors include: (1) financial resources of the child; (2) the standard of living the child would have enjoyed had the marital relationship not been discontinued; (3) costs of meeting educational needs of either parent if incurred to increase earning capacity; (4) extraordinary travel expenses for exercising parent-child contact; (5) extraordinary medical expenses not covered by insurance (uninsured annual medical expenses exceeding 200 per year are considered extraordinary); (6) extraordinary educational expenses. The court must make written findings explaining any deviation from the guidelines.

Healthcare & Childcare in Vermont Child Support

Health insurance: The actual cost of providing health insurance coverage for the children is added to the basic child support obligation and allocated between parents in proportion to their available income. The court orders either or both parents to provide adequate health insurance or make a cash contribution toward health coverage under 15 V.S.A. section 658. Uninsured medical expenses exceeding 200 per year are treated as extraordinary expenses that may justify a deviation.

Childcare costs: Work-related or education-related childcare costs are added to the basic child support obligation and divided between parents proportionally based on each parent’s share of combined available income. Only actual, reasonable childcare costs necessary because of a parent’s employment or employment-related education qualify.

When Does Vermont Child Support End?

In Vermont, child support generally ends when the child reaches 18 or completion of secondary education (high school), whichever is later. A child who turns 18 during their senior year of high school continues to receive support until graduation. Support also terminates upon marriage, emancipation by court order, entry into active military service, or death of the child.. However, support may continue or end earlier based on:

• The child graduates from high school (if still a minor)
• The child becomes emancipated (marriage, military service, self-supporting)
• The child has special needs requiring ongoing support
• College support: NO, not required. Vermont courts cannot order child support for postsecondary education expenses. However, if both parties agree, the court may include in the child support order an additional amount designated for postsecondary education (15 V.S.A. section 659).

Modifying Vermont Child Support

When to modify: A real, substantial, and unanticipated change of circumstances is required. A child support order that varies more than 10% from the amount that would be required under the current support guidelines is automatically considered a real, substantial, and unanticipated change. Specific qualifying changes include: receipt of workers’ compensation, disability benefits, or means-tested public assistance benefits; unemployment compensation (unless the period of unemployment was considered when the order was established); incarceration for more than 90 days (unless for failure to pay child support); and loss of employment or considerable reduction or increase in salary or wages. If the order has not been modified for at least 3 years, the court may waive the substantial change requirement entirely.

How to modify: Either parent, the Office of Child Support, or any person previously granted or charged with support may file a motion to modify with the court. The motion must be accompanied by an affidavit with calculations demonstrating entitlement to modification and must be served on all other parties. If calculations show cause for modification and neither party requests a hearing within 15 days of proof of service, the magistrate enters a modified order based on the calculations provided. The Office of Child Support (OCS) may independently file a motion to modify if providing Title IV-D services, if a party is or will be incarcerated for 90+ days, if the family has reunited, if the child no longer lives with the payee, or if a party receives means-tested benefits.

Either parent can request a modification. Changes are typically not retroactive to before the date of filing the modification request.

Vermont Child Support Enforcement

Vermont has multiple tools to enforce child support orders when a parent fails to pay:

• Wage withholding (automatic when payments one month overdue; employer notified directly); increased wage withholding for arrears (up to 25% of current support amount when one month overdue); property liens (when payments 3+ months overdue or court judgment for arrears equal to at least one month of annual support); trustee process to attach bank accounts
• retirement accounts
• or other assets held by third parties (when 3+ months overdue); state tax refund offset (applied to current support first
• then arrears); federal tax refund offset; license suspension (driver’s
• professional/trade
• and recreational licenses
• after prior enforcement action and failure to comply); license non-renewal (when one month overdue and not complying with repayment plan); credit bureau reporting (when arrears at least 1000); contempt of court with possible imprisonment (for willful failure to pay when ability to pay exists); passport denial (when arrears at least 2500
• must be paid in full before passport restored); lottery offset (winnings over 500 intercepted when arrears at least 500
• applied to current support first then arrears); federal benefit offset (business loans
• student loans
• federal contracts).

Contact Vermont Office of Child Support (OCS), within the Department for Children and Families (DCF), Agency of Human Services at https://dcf.vermont.gov/ocs for enforcement assistance.

Additional Vermont rules: Shared physical custody threshold is 30% of the calendar year (110+ overnights per parent), triggering a 50% increase in the base obligation to account for dual household costs under 15 V.S.A. section 657. When the noncustodial parent’s available income falls below the self-support reserve (1596 per month as of February 2026) or below the lowest guideline amount, the court uses discretion and the deviation factors in section 659, but must still order a nominal support amount. Vermont presumes income of 95449.50 per year (effective July 2025) when actual income cannot be determined. Income is imputed to non-income-producing assets over 10000 at the U.S. Treasury Bill rate. The child support maintenance supplement under section 661 may apply when maintenance (alimony) is also ordered, integrating child support and maintenance calculations to avoid double-counting.

Official Sources & Resources

• Vermont Office of Child Support (OCS), within the Department for Children and Families (DCF), Agency of Human Services: https://dcf.vermont.gov/ocs
• Federal OCSE: acf.hhs.gov/css
• Cornell LII — Child Support: law.cornell.edu
• Vermont Guidelines Statute: 15 V.S.A. sections 650 through 668 (Title 15, Chapter 11, Subchapter 3A — Maintenance and Support). Key sections: 653 (definitions and income), 654 (support guideline), 655 (total support obligation), 656 (support above guideline), 656a (additional dependents), 657 (shared/split custody), 658 (support order and health insurance), 659 (deviation factors), 660 (modification).

Last verified April 2026. Contact us if you notice outdated information.

Estimate Your Child Support

Use our free child support estimator to calculate estimated monthly payments. Enter both parents’ incomes, number of children, and custody arrangement to see a personalized breakdown based on your state’s formula.

Related Guides

• Vermont Divorce Process Guide
• Vermont Child Custody Guide
• Vermont Alimony Guide
• All Child Support Guides